As a basic component for a railway vehicle, a coupler buffer device serves to quickly connect and disconnect railway vehicles, deliver the train traction, ensure the running safety of the train, improve the comfort performance of the vehicles and the like.
To conveniently coupling vehicles to be reconnected, the horizontal height of the coupler needs to be maintained within a certain range in order to couple two vehicles to be reconnected successfully. To ensure the horizontal height of the coupler and prevent the coupler from hanging down to influence the coupling, an automatic coupler is generally equipped with a vertical support device.
The vertical support device is generally located below a coupler buffer shell, and an uplifting force is applied to the buffer shell by configuring a rubber block, a spring box or other elastic elements so as to ensure the horizontal height of the coupler and prevent the coupler from hanging down. A vertical support device, in form of a rubber block, is generally fixed below the coupler via a bracket, and the amount of compression of the rubber block between the coupler buffer shell and the bracket is adjusted by a bolt and a locknut so that the uplifting force is changed and the adjustment to the horizontal height of the coupler is realized. Such a vertical support device has the disadvantage of a large occupancy space below the vehicle, and also has a short service life due to the creep and aging of the rubber block. A general vertical spring support device also occupies a larger space below the vehicle, and generally has no function of adjusting the support force. Although the general vertical spring support device provides a certain support function, the height of the coupler cannot be adjusted when the coupler is hung down.
The prior art (CN201890238U) discloses a support unit for a vertical support device of a tight-lock coupler and specifically discloses the following features: a base is fixedly connected to a bracket on a mounting base via a fastening bolt; a coupler buffer is pressed on a spring box; and, the coupler buffer as a whole can rotate at a certain angle in a vertical direction due to an external force, and can return to the original position due to its own structure after the external force is removed. When the vertical angle of the whole coupler buffer is to be adjusted, an adjusting bolt is detached, a round nut is rotated leftward or rightward by a certain angle, and then the adjusting bolt is mounted and fastened again after the angle of the whole coupler buffer meets the requirements. That is, the afore-mentioned coupler buffer can realize the adjustment to the vertical angle of the whole buffer. However, this adjustment is realized by the distance from the round nut to the base. That is, it is unable to adjust the vertical force, and the vertical adjustment angle and distance are limited by the height of the coupler. Meanwhile, when the above-described vertical support structure or a conventional vertical support structure is used, a centring bracket for clamping the coupler buffer shell is further provided in addition to the vertical support structure. In this way, it is ensured that the vertical support structure sways with the coupler.